Title: Where A Fire Won't Do (1/?)Characters/Pairings: Percival/Gwaine, Arthur/Gwen, Leon/OC, Merlin, Elyan, Genre: Humour, slash Rating: 18.Summary: . A genuine mistake changes a friendship.Author's Note:This is another story I've started when I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. I love the show Merlin and I love the two knights of Camelo Percival and Gwaine even more so. I should really thank my rafia friends for getting me into some slash, and appreciating the man love. I cannot see these guys now with anyone but each other. I don't know how it goes, its unbeta'd I just hope anyone who reads will enjoy. Ta muchly.

Night had fallen and so had the temperature. It was one of the coldest nights any of them had felt in a while. The woods provided little shelter from the bitter winds and the fires were utterly useless.

Escorting the Lady Asgre and her maid to Camelot was supposed to have only taken a few days at most, but the deep snow after the previous night's blizzard was making it difficult for them and the horses. The tents had also been wrecked and ripped beyond use on the first night…so the party were reduced to virtually nothing to keep them warm.

Asgre was taking her ill stricken father's place to amend and make some new treaties between their realm and Camelot. There were also some problems of slavers and bandits that needed addressing. King Celyddon didn't want his daughter to go, but she insisted, despite the dangers of attack and the weather.

Arthur, hopeful in keeping the long peace between them and to solve both of their problems, had sent his best knights and Merlin to escort her back.

"Why do I have to go?" Merlin had whined as he looked out at the blanket of snow that covered Camelot and beyond.

"For my peace of mind."

"You're actually trusting me with something this important? You want me to help keep her Ladyship safe?"

"No…a few days without you will be utter bliss, Merlin. You've been driving me absolutely insane!"

Of course Merlin knew different.

Gwen had volunteered to go as well and at first Arthur had protested at the idea, probably because he had planned something special for the two of them, but in the end, Gwen insisted on going. It was mainly because she knew full well that neither of them was going to have any time for romance, especially with the preparations Arthur had to do. Unlike Merlin, she wanted to get out of the castle for a while, despite the harsh temperatures outside. Arthur agreed as he knew she would be safe in the care of his Knights and she would also keep Merlin out of trouble.

Gwen's presence certainly pleased Asgre. She was extremely grateful for more female company, so the two of them, plus her maid Hafwen, had spent most of the journey back conversing and becoming fast friends.

Now, as the camp fire began to dwindle—despite Merlin's own sneaky attempts to reignite the flames with a few incantations—there was no option except to settle down and try to get some sleep.

"I don't think any of us can sleep in this." said Gwaine, pulling his thick furred cape around his shoulders. It did nothing to stop his shivering or his teeth chattering.

"We should sleep in pairs and keep close together" said Merlin pulling the bedrolls and extra blankets from the bags. "The exchange of body heat will help."

"I agree." Sir Leon bobbed his head and smiled at Merlin. "Good thinking."

"Sir Leon…would…can I sleep next to you?" Asgre smiled shyly at the Knight, just like she had done ever since she first set eyeson him. Gwen and Hafwen covered their amused grins with their hands as Leon bowed courteously and laid a bedroll down by the base of a tree.

"Of course, my lady." Leon bowed again but his attempt to hide how flattered and embarrassed he was, didn't work. It was clear that the lady's attraction and feelings were reciprocated.

Leon sat down and blushed even more as the raven haired princess nestled beside him. As they both wrapped their cloaks and blankets around each other, it was immediately plain to see such sharing helped, at least for the warmth. Leon's nerves were a different matter.

"Gwen? Would you object to pairing with me?" Merlin had already prepared a small setting near Leon and held out a cloak for her. Guinevere had no objections to snuggling up to her friend and soon they were covered and bundled up so tightly, their faces couldn't be seen. "Just don't tell Arthur about this."

"Hey! Wait!" Gwaine seemed a little confused for a moment and caught hold of Elyan's arm.

Gwen's brother smirked as he already knew what other knight was going to protest about, for the confused glaze in those dark eyes were also looking a tad desperate.

"Doesn't she get to choose who to sleep…share warmth with?" Gwaine asked, flashing the auburn haired maid a wink. Elyan shook his head.

"I apologise Hafwen, which one of us would you allow to be close to you, to ensure you are warm and safe?" Elyan backed away from the little freckled woman to allow her to choose, but it seemed that she had already made up her mind. She giggled that little snorting giggle she had done so often during the journey and slapped Gwaine playfully on the chest.

"Don't be silly, sir!" she said plonking her rear on her make-shift bedroll. "I'm only little and Sir Elyan will do fine. Besides, you'll get the better deal, surely!"

"How do I get the better deal?" Gwaine scowled turning his head and watching as his 'warmth partner' was preparing for their sleep.

"There's more of him." Merlin's muffled voice snickered beneath his blanket and Gwaine saw a devious eye peeking out from the folds. Gwaine also heard laughing from the others but the giant Knight behind him already waiting, was oblivious to their mirth.

"Stop being a child, Gwaine and get some sleep. You'll freeze if you don't share with someone!"

Gwaine made a face at Leon's comment, but the man couldn't see it anyway, he was so wrapped up with the beautiful Asgre. Leon was right though, as another bitterly harsh wind swept through the campsite, Gwaine knew he had no other option. As he sat down, he saw Elyan remaining upright still clinging to the tiny little maid as he kept a look out as first watch.

"Right…keep your hands to yourself and this shall be okay." Gwaine uttered to Percival as they lay down together swathed in extra blankets and their red capes.

"I won't be able to transfer heat if I do." Percival murmured, his cold breath hitting the back of Gwaine's neck.

"Will you just go to sleep?"

"I shall if you stop fidgeting!"

"This is not comfortable! I don't spoon like this unless there's a woman involved, and usually then I'm the big spoon!"

"You're the one with the long hair, so you must be the woman."

"Oh ha ha! Just…don't get any ideas! And stop poking me!"

"I'm not poking you! That's my sword!"

"It had damned well better be!"

In the end, he had to admit that sharing body warmth with Percival wasn't that bad. The huge giant frame of the other knight, his muscled arms wrapped around him, was generating a lot more heat than he would have gotten from Hafwen or indeed any of the others. Although he could feel the chill, Percival and the blankets were keeping him alive. It was a stupid thing to have worried about, for this was survival.

Sleep did not come easy to any of them that night, but eventually fatigue won over and the party dozed off, Elyan keeping first watch.

Outside his tight warm cocoon it was still cold. Gwaine opened one eye and through a tiny parting in the many layers that covered him and Percival, the first rays of the morning sun were trying hard to poke through that cold. It was far too weak and so the dusting of frost over the top of them remained, crusting harder.

Gwaine had no intention of going anywhere, not yet, not even if he had to piss, which thankfully he didn't. He wriggled just a little bit and such movement caused Percival's thick arm to squeeze him tighter into his body. Then quite surprisingly, a leg coiled round over Gwaine's and began to rub up and down his shins.

Now Gwaine was very much awake. Both eyes were wide open in shock as he tried to detangle his legs from Percival's, but just like the arm, the one leg had him pinned and unable to move. Gwaine tensed and nudged his elbow as best he could into his friend's chest.

"Perce! Wake up you giant oaf! It's me! I'm not some farmer's maid for you to grope! Perce!"

Percival's sleepy groan murmured against Gwaine's neck and he jerked a little into his back, snorting a couple of breaths before drifting back into his steady rhythm of snores. Thankfully his foot stopped stroking over his shins, but Gwaine was still trapped.

"Well, it's probably for the best, Gwaine. It's still very cold out here. I'm going to scout around a bit but I've got to keep the fire going and tend to the horses as well, be back in a mo!"

"Merlin…I can't get up! Merlin? Merlin!"

It seemed the young servant didn't hear him, for his footsteps walked away, crunching over the hard frozen ground. Gwaine struggled again, but it was useless. He thought it would be best to go back to sleep, however, he heard Merlin's faint mutterings—strange words he couldn't quite make out—and then the crackling of a roaring fire.

Now more than anything, Gwaine wanted to get up. Even if it was early, even if the others were still asleep, Gwaine could find breakfast and have any killed beast roasting on the spit before they woke. It wasn't going to happen as Percival's hold was stronger than a dragon's. It frustrated him no end.

Then it wasn't Percival's foot doing the stroking and it wasn't Gwaine's shin being stroked.

A startled squeak caught in Gwaine's throat as a large warm hand began to run down his chest. The crushing force of Percival's arm lessened a little but the hand that rubbed down across Gwaine's tunic was just as strong. It groped at one of his pecs, squeezed it as if it was a woman's breast and slowly rubbed and caressed its way down over his stomach and abdomen.

"Perce! Wake up!" He couldn't scream or yell, Gwaine's voice was choking as Percival, still deep in slumber, continued his strong groping. Obviously lost in a dream, Percival had no idea he was doing this but Gwaine certainly was aware. Even through the light chainmail, Gwaine felt those fingers caressing over his hips, he felt them creep down to the hem of the mail and drift up his soft breaches where they caught hold and squeezed.

Gwaine found his voice.

"MERLIN! MERLIN!"

The loud scream didn't wake his sleeping partner up. Astonishingly, no one else woke up either. As deft fingers found his length through the material of his trousers, they began to massage, pump and squeeze, eliciting a rush of warmth all over Gwaine. As he became hard from such attention, Gwaine screwed his eyes shut and tried with all desperation to free himself from Percival's fist, but his jerking and wriggling only increased the pleasure swelling up in his cock.

"Oh fuc-!"

After a few moments of resisting, Gwaine stopped struggling as the hand working on him was beginning to feel good, more than good. He relaxed a little, but his body began to do little spasms with every tight hard tug Percival gave him; his breaths became quick and deep and now sweat was dampening his hair and face. It was far too hot.

Then Gwaine felt Percival's face against his neck, his breath was warm on his skin and it tickled pleasantly. A pair of lips began to kiss just below his ear before teeth nipped at his lobe.

He had to get out of here. He had to move before Percival made him do the inevitable into his trousers and that was something he didn't want to explain to the others.

"MERLIN! Oh god! MERLIN!"

There wasn't any response. Gwaine couldn't understand why his friend wasn't responding to a very frantic cry for help. He didn't know why Leon, Gwen and Elyan didn't respond either. He was shouting loud enough.

Percival groaned into his neck and the murmur only increased Gwaine's arousal.

"No…it's not your friend doing this to you…it's a woman, a beautiful dark haired lass with big…"

It was no use, his brain wouldn't let him think differently. It was impossible to ignore that it was a huge six foot five giant—his friend and fellow knight—doing this to him. He couldn't deny the fact that it was Percival turning him on so damned much.

"MERLIN!"

Gwaine could feel he was getting close, his breathing quickened as the pressure built to that point where he was going to orgasm. His body was juddering so much, it was encouraging the sleeping man behind him to keep going…Gwaine muttered under his breath for Percival not to stop as he felt the burning behind his eyes intensify to sharp shots.

"So close…keep going…keep going!"

"Hey Gwaine! You called! Are you okay? Do you need a hand?"

Damn him!

"No!" Gwaine squeaked.

Normally the younger man had impeccable timing but there couldn't be a worse time than now.

"Gwaine? Are you sure you're okay in there…you're sounding a little…?"

"No I'm fi—ah—ne! Damn it Merlin!"

The moment was lost. Percival shifted in his sleep and his hand dropped away from his erection. Gwaine began to curse profoundly under his breath, for the moment when he thought he would burst was gone, but he was still wanting to. The throbbing in his trousers was aching so much that he had to release, he needed to.

"What's going on under there, Gwaine?" Merlin's tone was a little too inquisitive and amused for Gwaine's liking. "Are you doing something you shouldn't be?"

The laugh was not in the remotest bit funny. One of his closest friends had given him a painful hard on and nearly made him come in his pants, the other Knight of Camelot had made Gwaine like it and now he was frustrated that he couldn't finish.

"Gwaine?"

"Merlin…I need to piss." He moaned, hoping that this cover up would convince him. "I can't move because Percival won't wake the hell up!"

"Oh! Gwaine, I'm so sorry!"

Merlin's bizarre guilty spouts of apology momentarily confused Gwaine. It wasn't Merlin's fault that Percival wasn't waking up, so why was he taking the blame for it? His young friend began to blabber some more apologies as he tried to pry the larger knight away from Gwaine.

Finally, Percival came away and in seconds Gwaine bolted to his feet and from the warm covers. The cold hit him like a punch to the stomach, he was unbalanced and his feet slipped in the snow, but his hands didn't dare leave his groin. Gwaine may have been hiding his erection, but Merlin would only reason that it was because he desperately needed to have a piss.

No. He needed to run far enough to relieve himself so no one could hear, but not too far that it might arouse suspicion. Gwaine quickly glanced around and saw Leon, Asgre, Elyan, Hafwen and Gwen still sound asleep, bundled up closer in a group and oblivious to the rest of the world.

If Gwaine thought it was possible, it looked as if they were in some kind of enchanted sleep.

Nah.

He rushed off into the thicket of the woods before Merlin could even say anything. Gwaine ran as much as he could with such a painful ache, but at last he found a suitable tree that kept him hidden from the camp. With one hand supporting himself against the tree, Gwaine used his other to open the fastenings on his trousers and pull out his cock.

The damned aroused muscle was burning so much that it didn't feel the cold, it was hurting it was so hard and swollen. Gwaine took in several deep breaths, grabbed hold and began to work at releasing the pressure. After several seconds, the physical movement of Gwaine's hand wasn't doing much else; he gripped harder, he quickened his strokes but nothing was happening beyond a pleasant warm flutter in his groin and a slight shake in his legs. That orgasm wasn't coming.

Gwaine thought of some of the women in his past, he remembered those nights he spent engulfed deep within them, remembered their moans and their cries…but again rapture never came. Gwaine couldn't find the release and it was pissing him off.

Nothing helped and now the cold was starting to creep in. He could feel the heat slowly fading but the attention of his dick wasn't diminishing. Gwaine groaned with detest at what he might have to think of to keep it going.

The foreboding groan turned to pleasured gasps when Gwaine closed his eyes and thought of someone else's hand.

The instant he did, the moment he imagined the larger man pressed hard at his back, holding him against the tree and pumping on his cock, his whole body became a confused trembling mess. Sweat dampened Gwaine's hair; his face and body flushed with a burning red and his eyes stung as he thought of Percival doing this to him. His deep panting grunts turned to angry cries as a crazy notion of Percival slamming himself up into him entered his thoughts and quickened his motions.

This is not good…

His body thought otherwise, it was good. It was damned good, for already Gwaine was seeping over his hand, his legs were shaking, on the brink of giving out and his arse was clenching so hard it then began to spasm.

"Perce, you bastard!"

Gwaine cursed Percival for being so damned handsy during his sleep and he cursed himself for thinking and reacting more because of him. It wasn't right, Sir Gwaine of Camelot was a ladies man, he enjoyed the female form and had the fortune to bed many because of his charm and good looks. It was women he thought of when he jacked off alone, not men. It was women that aroused him not one of his friends.

Gwaine didn't stop. He couldn't get rid of his lurid thoughts of Percival and he couldn't stop liking it.

"Damn you stupid…stupid…fucking idiot!"

Gwaine's legs suddenly gave out and he dropped to his knees bellowing his voice raw. He finally came, emptying on to the snow before collapsing backwards into a drift. He screwed his face up in blissful agony and arched his back into the snow as those last few pulses of orgasm surged over his body and the diminished remnants spilled down his spent cock.

His heavy and ragged breaths eventually slowed to normal after a while, but Gwaine felt dizzy and disorientated. He had to blink several times to get his vision back, and he remained lying in the cold and horrible wet snow until that euphoria and disorientation passed.

It had felt great, more than great, but now as he wearily got to his feet and scrambled to put himself away, Gwaine felt embarrassed and ashamed; angry. He kicked at the snow in frustration and then at the tree and was about to start heading back to the camp when he paused.

He wasn't sure how he was going to face Percival. How was he going to act around Perce without thinking about what he had just done? Would he be able to fight by his side now? Will he be able to look him in the eye without feeling so damned dirty and guilty? Percival was asleep when he did this…would he remember? Then it wasn't just the case of Percival…there was fear that he would be the same with the others.

"Bollocks!"

Gwaine kicked the tree again, only this time hurting his foot quite badly in the process. He limped back to the camp in an extremely foul mood and he knew Merlin wasn't going to make it better.

Sitting by the fire—which was now quite large and emanating such warmth the horses were back on their feet and looking extremely content—was Merlin. He was boiling up some more water and preparing plates and cutlery for breakfast.

"You took your time, didn't you?" he asked, winking with mischief. Gwaine didn't reply. "Needed to do a number two? Must have been tough, I heard you screaming."

Gwaine grunted with disapproval and sat down by the fire, wincing at the pain in his foot, which was still quite intense. The fire wasn't any help to him either for Gwaine couldn't feel its heat. It was doing nothing for him, his wet clothes or the horrid guilt twisting his insides.

"You know, you might want vary your diet, Gwaine." Merlin snorted with laughter, but Gwaine's lack of witty comeback and the dark scowling expression on his face made Merlin stop. "Sorry, I won't mention it anymore, though you might want a word with Giaus…okay you're seriously not wanting to talk about it…right. Well, I'm sure the others will be up soon, we can get some breakfast then."

Just as Merlin mentioned them, and as the sun began to break through the gloom of morning, the others in the group began to stir.

Gwen, who had been left on her own whilst Merlin took watch, sat up stretched and yawned a very ladylike yawn before smiling and wishing the others good morning. She looked very warm despite being left, and rose to come and help Merlin at the fire. She was impressed with what he had done.

Elyan and Hafwen stirred from slumber as well and when they were finally awake, they joined Gwen at the fire and struck up a conversation about how pleasant their night was despite the dangerous cold temperatures.

Gwaine saw that Leon and Asgre were nervously trying to detangle themselves from the blankets and their constant utterances of "Pardon" "sorry" and "excuse me" were—to Gwaine—a little sickening to watch. When Asgre joined the now woken group, Leon kept his distance and began to tidy up the campsite.

Every single one of them asked as to why Gwaine was drenched and had snow in his hair, though they too saw the sour mood he was in and didn't press the matter. So they marvelled at Merlin's amazing fire instead.

"How did you manage it when most of the firewood around here is wet from the snow?" asked Gwen, sipping at a lovely mug of tea.

"Luck, I suppose." Merlin uttered with a knowing glint in his eye.

"It doesn't matter how…just that it's a light! We're most grateful, Merlin." Elyan bowed his head in gratitude. "What's for breakfast?"

"I could kill us some bacon!"

Gwaine shot up from the log he was sitting on, jumping in startled fear at the sound of Percival's yawning of breakfast recommendation. He nearly tripped on his cape and instead stumbled straight into the giant's arms. The large hands tightly clasped his upper arms and tried to steady him, but Gwaine frantically shrugged him off and backed away from Percival in a panic.

"Are you all right, Sir Gwaine?" asked Asgre. "Did you not sleep well?"

Percival was staring at him, utterly confounded as to why Gwaine was behaving so skittishly. Gwaine didn't want to look at him but what panicked him more was the intense heated blush on his cheeks and another stirring, an excited quiver deep in his abdomen rushing to his groin.

"I'm fine!" he stammered, turning away from Percival, pulling his sword from its sheath and heading off to the woods. "Stay here, I'll be back with breakfast."

"I'll help." Percival smiled and cracked his knuckles. Even that sound made a gasp choke in Gwaine's throat. It was not supposed to be a provocative sound, it wasn't meant to make him excited, but it did.

"No! Don't you dare!" he snapped harshly. Percival's smile vanished and he looked hurt by the dismissal. There was that childish pout that Gwaine had so often teased him about in the past, now it was just too damned…adorable? "I'll…go on my own."

Gwaine turned away, mentally cursing himself for thinking such a term like 'adorable' for Percival and vanished into the thick of the wood. The further he got away, the tension and discomfort of what was now an obvious lusting for his friend eased and he focused on catching breakfast.

His foot hurt like hell. He limped, keeping off the foot as best he could, looking out for tracks of anything that might be venturing out into this frozen hell. Then his mind began to wonder.

He heard the crack of those fingers again—for moment was startled to think that Percival had followed him—but there was no sign of him. Only a stray thought, a remembrance of those fingers coiled around him. Gwaine felt more than just stirrings in his trousers.

"Food! Breakfast!" he whacked his gloved hand against the side of his head. "Think of breakfast you daft git!"

It was not easy to do.

"Did I do or say something wrong?" Percival asked slumping down on the log Gwaine had just vacated. The sudden weight upon it made the log creak with protest.

"He's just in a bad mood, Percival." Leon said, patting gently at his horse after finishing packing the saddlebags. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. His bad moods don't last long…I'm sure once he's had a fight with a boar or some bandits, he'll be back to his normal self. A good tussle always cheers him up."

Whilst the others agreed with that sentiment, Percival was still concerned.

They all had bad moods, as did anyone. The elite group of Knights knew each other well and they had to for they depended on each other in battle. Their lives depended on their skills with their weapons, to predict their moves and know each other's thoughts and moods. They had to know what affected each other's state of mind, what was normal and what was not, so while it was rare for Gwaine to act like he did, Percival wasn't going to dismiss it as just a little tiff. He knew he had done something to anger his friend.

"Don't you worry, sir." Hafwen patted Percival's broad back. Her little freckled face scrunched up with a peculiar grin and Percival wasn't sure if it was meant to be reassuring, because it wasn't. "It'll be all right. When you all get back to Camelot and have lots of nice warm fires and a proper bed to sleep in, he'll be fine."

"Thank you, Hafwen." Percival grinned a charming little smile at her, though he wasn't utterly convinced at her words. "Gwaine's not himself, fires and warm beds might not be the solution."

"Ah…yes well." Hafwen patted him again and did the scrunched up grin. "He might be hungry…get some food in his belly and he could be as right as rain! I know I will!"

Usually food and a good drink and possibly an out numbered fight was the solution for Gwaine, but this time…Percival didn't think it would be.

Merlin is a very popular "family" show shown on Saturday nights. Though there is a LOT of strong implications to Arthur and Merlin... I can see it in the way they banter and stuff, but I prefer the traditional Arthur/Guinevere.

However, Gwaine and Percival just make this awesome pair. You've got the ladies man..Irish Gwaine with is long hair and beard and Percival...six foot five or six...a man of muscle....

Thankyou so much G for reading and commenting on it. I just wish LJ will stop pissing about and let me do the LJ cuts again. I'll figure it out another time. Thankyou also for bringing me over to the dark side...the side of lovely man sex!